


War of the Spark - Part 1: The Calm

by not_josh1



Category: Magic: The Gathering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 08:11:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19058707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/not_josh1/pseuds/not_josh1
Summary: War approaches the city-world of Ravnica. Lavinia, a renegade from the Azorious Senate searches for answers as Jace, the Living Guildpact, tries to come up with a plan to take down Nicol Bolas with allies, both old and new.This fic is basically my take on the story of the War of the Spark set.





	War of the Spark - Part 1: The Calm

**Chapter 1: Lavinia of the Tenth  
**

_Lavinia stood on the balcony of the Azorious guildgate in the Ninth District, in her home. The screams of the citizens of Ravnica fill the air with the smoke and fire of the destruction of the city. She took a shaky breath and pulled up her hood. As she turned around, she was knocked to the ground by something quick, something she couldn't see. Look down at her chest, there was a sword hilt protruding from her standard issue chain mail. She felt the air escaping her lungs, and blood oozing down her torso, the pressure of death began pressing down on her as darkness intruded on her vision..._

Lavinia shot awake, sweat covering her face. It took her a minute to remember where she was as her breathing slowed. Light filtered through the gaps in the stone of the old dilapidated building along the Rubblebelt where she'd set up camp. Another renegade morning. Surrounding the stone cabin Lavinia had made her own, there was a small group of other rogue Azorious that had stuck with her when she abandoned the Senate.

Lavinia pulled herself off of her stone bed and got herself dressed, pulling on her armor, and draping her deep blue cloak over her shoulders. She let out a sigh as she fastened her sword to her waist.

She pushed the door to the cabin open and walked into the small stone clearing her and her band of companions had made their camp. Smoke from the fire trailed up into the cloudy sky, mixing with the overcast over head. One of the Arresters in her company gave her a sloppy salute as she approached.

“There's been a lot of Gruul activity, ma'am.” He said.

“I'm not surprised,” Lavinia said as she grabbed a cup of coffee one of the men had brewed over the fire and left for her. “We're gonna have to find a new place to camp very soon.” She blew off steam off the cup before taking a sip.

 _Bitter._ She thought to herself.

“What about the Guildpact, ma'am? You were closest to him.” One of the other Arresters said. He was hunched over the fire with a dented metal pot, brewing more coffee for the small renegade company.

“Still no word from him, Denton.” Lavinia replied. “I'm sure that he'll be back soon.” She said, but she could tell that she wasn't convincing. Lying was never her thing.

Denton gave a sigh and continued on, pouring small tin cups of pitch black coffee.

Lavinia took another pull at her cup, letting the warmth fill her momentarily, before moving across the small clearing. The rubbelbelt hasn't been kind to her small band of run away arresters, and Lavinia, just broken buildings and piles of stone, reclaimed by the wild, or at least by those who speak for the wild.

Lavinia took a few steps up some rubble that formed a natural hill around the small encampment. She knew that she was running out of time evading the authorities. The law was important, but not the way Dovin seemed to bend it. She couldn't keep her people safe from much longer, the full force of the Azorious were out for them. There were only a few guilds that she could even try to seek refuge with. She had to find a way to keep her men safe. They shouldn't have followed her this far.

 _If only Jace weren't such an idiot._ She commented to herself. _Always running off to other worlds._ She dwelled on that thought as she looked out across the Rubblebelt to the edges of a street in Ravnica's 7  th  District. She missed the days after the Dragon's Maze, when she was working with Jace to just keep Ravnica safe.

Before she could think about it any more, she was pulled out of her introspection by a voice calling her from camp. She spun on her heal, sloshing a bit of coffee onto the stone she stood on. By the fire, Denton had dropped his coffee pot, and pulled his hands out. Several other Arresters were also combat ready, some drawing swords.

“Ma'am, we need you back here.” A voice called out. From the outskirts of camp, Gurra (a rather tall, blue skinned Vedalken) came into the encampment, holding his hands out in a lawmagic spell, that twisted int a triangular shape around the arms of a small frail looking woman in black and red clothing. She seemed to faintly jingle with every step, and Lavinia knew for sure she heard her chuckle.

 _Rakdos._ Lavinia said to herself as she sighed again, stepping back down the hill of stones. Gurra pushed the woman to her knees

“Remain silent” Gurra said. The woman let out a twisted chuckle. As her head moved, Lavinia heard for sure that she jingled. Bells were woven into the Rakdos woman's hair.

“What are you doing here?” Lavinia asked, resting her hand on the sword fastened to her hip.

“Isn't this interesting?” She said. “Renegades trying to arrest me.”

“Be quiet and answer my questions, witch.” Lavinia said, in an unimpressed tone.

“Well,” the woman said, tilting her head to the side, “I'm impressed you could tell I was a Razor Witch.” She paused, her voice had an off-putting sing-song nature to her voice. “You're very good at this Lavinia.”

Lavinia's face stayed stoic, but inside she was taken aback by this woman's knowledge. “I'll only ask one more time,” Lavinia said as she drew her sword, “What are you doing here?”

The woman's face became more serious and she pursed her lips. “I guess, yeah. I'm here for you, Lavinia.”

There were sounds of unease and shifting from the soldiers standing around and at the ready. Lavinia's eyes narrowed.

“Explain.”

The woman sighed. “Something's coming. Something devastating. The Gruul have been extra reckless, calling for their old god, the Azorious are more active and the Golgari are mobilizing.”

“Since when did the Rakdos care for the affairs of Ravnica?” Lavinia retorted, her sword hand relaxing a little bit.

“Since it threatened to end all the fun for all of us.” The woman sung out.

“Then what do you know about it?”

“Well.. I can't tell you that.”

Lavinia let out a sigh. “Fine, then I have no use for you.” Lavinia spun on her heal “Take her away boys.”

“Wait! Wait!” The woman called out as Gurra pulled her up, her hair jingling. Lavinia turned back, putting her sword back into it's sheath and rising a single eyebrow. “I can't tell you because I don't know.” Her face dropped and became serious. “But the one who sent me can.”

“And who sent you?” Lavninia asked.

“Ral Zarek.” She replied.

Lavinia's eyes narrowed again. “Why?”

“Niv Mizzet is dead, the Azorious and Orzohv seem to be working together for something really bad, and we're only days away from disaster.” Her words hung in the morning air, the flickering of the fire filling the silence. “Ral needs your help, Lavinia, that's why I'm here.”

Lavinia gave a huge sigh. “If you're making this up, I'll kill you myself.” _But if she_ is _lying,_ Lavinia thought to herself, _she has some really good info._ Lavinia knew of the guilds working together, and some of the activity going on, but Niv being dead was news to her too. She looked at Gurra, “Let her go.”

“But ma'am...” He started to reply.

“Please.” Lavinia said.

Gurra swallowed nervously before ending the spell that bound the Rakdos woman's arms.

“You already know my name, so what's yous?” Lavinia asked, hoping to probe more information from her later.

“Hekara.” She said, giving a smile and put a hand out for a handshake.

“Alright, Hekara,” Lavinia said, ignoring Hekara's outstretched hand, “where do we meet up with Ral?”

Hekara pursed her lips and pulled her hand up and ran it through her hair. “Well, we have to go to the Izzet power station in the Ninth District.”

“Of course.” Lavinia said and let out a sigh. “Alright then, we'll have to make a plan.”  
Hekara rolled her eyes. “Typical Azorious,” she tried to speak under her breath, seemingly unaware that she was surrounded by Azorious arresters.

Lavinia glanced at Hekara. She turned and addressed her men. “Listen, everyone.” She paused for a moment. “We're going to have to split up for a while.” Lavinia noticed Denton shift where he was standing. “I'm going with Hekara into the Ninth to meet Ral Zarek. All of you guys... Stay safe.” She sighed to herself. “Dress in civilian clothes and just try to find shelter. We'll all meet up again soon.”

Her small squad of renegade Arresters mumbled among themselves, before finally Denton stepped forward.

He took a moment to collect himself before finally announcing, “Of course, ma'am.”

Lavinia grabbed his shoulder. “Don't worry Denton, I trust you all to stay safe. Something's coming to Ravnica, and when that happens, we'll fight to protect order. Side by side.”

“Yes, ma'am.” He said, and gave her a salute.

 

===========

 

Soon after, the camp had been left, and the Arresters had dispersed, seeking a change of clothes and shelter from the law they used to enforce. The terrain Hekara and Lavinia traveled was rough, mainly destroyed buildings and dilapidated roads, overgrown with trees and toppled towers.

“Running from the law, aye?” Hekara asked Lavinia as they pushed down the Rubble Belt. “A regular Dimir, ain't ya'?”

Lavinia was trying her best to not engage.

“The silent treatment? Already?” Hekara sung, bobbing her head with each step, and ringing her bells with each bob.

“Do you have to make _so much noise_ all the time?” Lavinia asked, exasperated already.

“You don't like my bells?” Hekara asked, exaggerating a few steps to make extra noise with the bells in her hair.

Lavinia sighed. Her and her crew had made camp as far from New Prahv as she could, and though her and Hekara weren't going all the way to the Tenth district, the route they had elected to take would take them uncomfortably close to Dovin's new headquarters.

“So what was the Guildpact like?” Hekara asked, stepping over a large mossy stone. “I never got to meet him, but I hear he was very handsome.”

Lavinia rolled her eyes. “Jace is an idiot. None of this would be happening now if he never ran away.” Mumbling more to herself than speaking to Hekara.

“Ohh, first name basis?” Hekara chuckled. “I guess that comes with being his Secretary, huh?”

Lavinia clenched her teeth. “I was not his secretary.”

“I'm just kidding.” Hekara said before trailing off slightly. “What do you mean 'ran away?' I thought he disappeared.”

Lavinia cursed at herself internally. “Yeah, I meant disappeared. I have no idea where he went.” She hoped that she sounded more convincing than she felt.

 

They traveled along the Rubble Belt together for a while longer. The clouds in the sky began to darken as the day approached evening.

“We're almost there,” Hekara said as she bobbed along the orange of the fallen leaves and overturned stones.

“I hope you know where you're going.” Lavinia said, exasperatedly.

“Of course,” Hekara sung, “you should really start trusting me, girl scout.”

Lavinia sighed deeply, and looked around. “Up there,” Lavinia said, pointing at a building close to the edge of the Rubble Belt. “We're in the Ninth now.”

Hekara grinned and started to bound towards the building Lavinia had pointed out.

“What are you doing?” Lavinia said, quickly grabbing Hekara by the shoulder. “You know that if I get caught by any of the patrols, we're not gonna make it to Ral.”

Hekara rolled her eyes and shook off Lavinia's grip. “Don't worry about it.” Hekara said, her voice seemed almost like a song. “It'll be dark soon,” She paused and gave Lavinia sadistic grin, “We'll move at night fall.”

 

 


End file.
